


Djinn

by kittyhazelnut



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, it took me three years to write this and idrk what it's about anymore RIP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:00:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyhazelnut/pseuds/kittyhazelnut
Summary: Out there, Castiel is expendable.In here, he's loved.So why would he ever leave?
Relationships: Destiel, Sabriel - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 58





	Djinn

**Author's Note:**

> This fic begins at some point during the first half of season 12

Castiel wakes up with his head resting on an old book in the war room of the bunker. He sits up with a groan, rubbing his stiff neck in a failed attempt to sooth it. What's he doing in here? Wasn't he just out on a hunt? Maybe he got knocked out? It would explain why -- or, more precisely,  _ how  _ \-- he was asleep.

"Morning, sweetheart," Dean says with a light laugh.

"Morning," Castiel replies groggily. "What time is it?"

"Eleven-ish," Sam tells him.

"You haven't missed much," Dean adds. "It doesn't look like we're getting anywhere with the Darkness."

"The — the Darkness?" Castiel echoes. They already took care of her, as the humans would say. It's been weeks since she and God — err, Chuck — left.

"Yeah, you know. Big bad, God's sister. That chick?" Dean reminds him.

"But she —" Castiel begins, then cuts himself off. He decides to change the topic to the actual "big bad" they have to face. "And Lucifer?"

"Still in the cage..." Dean replies uncertainly. "Cas, baby, you okay?"

Baby? Where did that come from? He was willing to overlook sweetheart; Dean uses terms like that in sarcastic quips on a nearly daily basis. But baby? That's one he rarely uses with anyone but his car.

"Yeah, I'm — I'm fine," Castiel stammers.

Dean, who can clearly see that Castiel isn't fine, walks up to the angel, kneeling next to him so they're closer to eye level. "What's wrong? You seem... off."

"No, I'm not — I'm not off," Castiel replies, probably too quickly. "I'm very much not off. I'm — I'm on."

Dean chuckles at the angel. "Alright, Cas. Whatever you say. But if something  _ is  _ bugging you, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Castiel nods. "Of course, Dean." It doesn't mean they ever do tell each other things, though; they're a very secretive group, and that never ends well.

"Good," Dean replies, standing up so he towers over Castiel. He presses his lips to Castiel's forehead, and that brief moment brings loads of confusion. What's he doing? Did he really just kiss him? What was that for?

"Ugh, no PDAs," Sam groans.

"Sorry," Dean replies, but it clearly isn't sincere. He sits down in the chair next to Castiel and puts his feet up on the table, his hands behind his head. He glances at the clock. "When are they getting back? I'm bored."

"Then do something productive," Sam suggests. "Like looking for any mention of the Darkness."

"We're not going to find her anywhere," Dean protests. "God did a stand up job of keeping her hidden. Unless we go back to the cage or Balthazar comes back, we're out of options."

"Balthazar?" Castiel repeats, suddenly alert at the sound of his brother and close friend's name.

"Yeah," Sam says. "The guy that hates  _ Titanic _ ? From your old garrison in Heaven?"

"I know who he is," Castiel says.  _ I killed him _ , he adds silently, but aloud, he just says, "He's dead." 

"Uh, no, he's not," Dean replies, a concerned look on his face. "We just saw him a few weeks ago. Cas, are you sure you're okay?"

"He's... He's alive?" Castiel repeats. "But I — He died, before Purgatory."

"Purgatory?" Sam echoes. "You mean the place Crowley was looking for, like, five years ago?"

The expression Sam wears shows the same amount of confusion Castiel feels. "It wasn't just Crowley looking for it..." Castiel says uncertainly. He knows the Winchesters hate causing guilt trips, but this is just a fact. Castiel had an equal, if not greater role in the search for Purgatory.

"You mean Samuel?" Sam asks. "I mean, yeah, he worked for Crowley, but we killed him and stopped Crowley before he could open Purgatory."

"But the leviathan —"

"The what now?" Dean asks.

"You don't remember the...? Dick Roman? When we needed Charlie to stop him?"

Dean cocks his head in confusion. "Dick Roman? From Dick Roman Enterprises or whatever? What does he have to do with Charlie?"

"Charlie helped you with..." Castiel trails off, realizing there's no point in explaining. Neither Winchester remembers it. "When did you meet Charlie?"

"Some LARP fest," Dean replies. "Seriously, Cas, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Castiel replies quickly. "And you said that Lucifer is still in the cage? Sam never went down to... To talk to him?"

"No, I did," Sam tells him. "But he wanted a vessel, and none of us were going to give him one."

"But —"  _ But I did _ . "And Chuck?" 

"The prophet?" Sam says. "Dead. Remember? Only one prophet at a time. He's been dead since before we met Kevin."

"Chuck's not a prophet, he's..." Castiel trails off. He can see both Winchesters think he's insane. They're probably right. But he knows that Chuck is God. He remembers it clear as day. So why don't they?

Castiel doesn't get the chance to respond when he hears the door of the bunker open, and the building is suddenly filled with the sounds of people talking amongst themselves. Castiel spots them as soon as they step into view; these people that should be dead. That  _ were _ dead. But now, here they are. Bobby, Ellen, and Jo.

"Hey, you're back!" Dean greets them, and he and Sam get up to give them each a friendly hug. Castiel watches with wide eyes. They're dead. They all died years ago. So what's going on?

"Yeah, turned out it wasn't just a vamp," Ellen tells them. "It was a whole nest."

"But we took care of it," Jo adds. "It just took a bit longer."

"A phone call would've been nice," Dean tells her.

"We figured you wouldn't need a babysitter checking in the whole time," Bobby replies in his sarcastic tone Castiel has grown to miss.

"Are you okay, Cas?" Ellen asks. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Castiel is suddenly aware that he's been staring, and quickly rushes to defend himself. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Jo asks.

Castiel nods. "Yes, I'm sure."

Dean walks over to Castiel and puts an arm around the angel playfully. "Cas is just so overwhelmed by how awesome I am."

This earns an eye roll from everyone in the room.

"You're supposed to agree," Dean whispers loudly.

"Oh. Uh, then yes. Of course."

Everyone laughs at that. Dean leans down and gives Castiel a quick kiss on the forehead. "Never change, Cas. Never change."

~~

A couple of hours pass, and not much happens. They all share a drink in honor of the current apocalypse, the tradition when things aren't going well, and the end may be nearing. It's fairly soon during this time that Castiel figures out what's going on. In fact, it's so obvious, he's surprised he didn't realize it already. This is clearly the work of a djinn, and Castiel knows exactly what the wish was. It's the thing he wishes for every day. For Dean to finally love him back.

"Cas, you want one?" Dean offers, holding up a beer.

Snapped out of his trance, Castiel answers, "Uh, no thanks."

"Suit yourself."

Dean grabs a bottle for himself, sitting down next to the angel on the floor. He puts an arm around Castiel's shoulders, using the other to take a sip of beer. He leans into Castiel, resting his head on top of the angel's. Castiel does one thing he's always wanted to do. He snuggles up to Dean.

"Are we gonna have to watch this love fest all day?" Bobby asks, rolling his eyes.

"I think it's sweet," Jo protests with a faint smile as she watches the two boys. "It's nice to see that even though it's the end of the world, at least you two are happy."

"It's always the end of the world," Dean reminds her.

"But this time, we got no way of stopping it," Bobby adds.

"We'll figure something out," Dean replies. "We always do."

"Well, we've never faced God's sister before."

"Bobby, stop being such a pessimist," Ellen scolds him. "Dean's right. We'll figure something out, or die trying."

"If we're serious about figuring something out, any idea where to start?" Bobby asks. "As much as I love the idea of sitting around with a beer, we got work to do."

"I don't think there's anything we  _ can  _ do," Sam replies. "I mean, unless he comes back any time soon —"

"How's now for soon?" The familiar voice makes Castiel jump slightly. 

Balthazar.

"Well?" Sam prompts, oblivious to Castiel's silent awe. "Is he coming?"

"Of course I am."

Castiel's head shoot to the doorway, where another angel is entering the room. 

No. No way. He's dead. He's been dead for years. So how is he here? Here, in the bunker that he died before they ever uncovered?

"Heya, guys? How've you been? Let me guess. Horrible."

"Cut the crap, Gabriel," Sam snaps.

"Sam, I'm offended," Gabriel replies in his usual flippant tone. " _ You _ asked  _ me _ to be here, remember? I mean, it's not like  _ I'm  _ the one that screwed up.  _ Again _ . I didn't have to come pull your ass out of the fire."

"You're saving yourself, too," Ellen reminds him. "So get talking. How do we kill the Darkness?"

Gabriel chuckles. "Oh, you clueless little... You can't  _ kill _ the Darkness."

"Then why'd you show?" Dean demands. "If there's nothing we can do, why'd you even bother?"

"I didn't say there's nothing you can do, just that you can't kill her," Gabriel replies.

"Then what are we supposed to do, huh?"

"Nothing," Gabriel replies. "Oh, don't give me that look, Deano! You're up against God's sister, and you've only got one archangel with you. Last time, it took all four. Oh yeah, and the big man himself. But if you're really set on the impossible task of stopping the Darkness, there may be a way."

"And what would that be?" Dean asks.

"Well, first, we'd need a bigger crew," Gabriel tells them. "What do you got?"

They all share a look before various people are called out. There's Crowley and the demons, Rowena, and even possibly the angels, but that's about it.

Gabriel lets out a low whistle. "Ooh, nope. Not gonna cut it. Better luck next time, kiddos. Catch ya later. If there is a later."

"Wait," Jo stops him. "We're not just going to lay down and die, and you aren't, either."

"Oh yeah?" Gabriel crosses his arms stubbornly. "And why's that?"

"Because you actually do care what happens. Maybe not to people; you made that much clear last time we heard from you. But you also made it clear that you care about your brothers and sisters. And you can't just let them all die because you don't want to stand up to your aunt."

Gabriel chuckles, but there's no real humor in it. "And that's where you're wrong, kid. I'd help if I could. Trust me, I like living here. Or, you know, living, period. But unless you somehow get ahold of Lucifer, Michael, and G-O-D himself, there's nothing we  _ can _ do, and even that probably wouldn't cut it. So as much as I'd like to help you guys, I really can't." Gabriel shrugs as if to say  _ What can you do? _ "It's apocalypse time, and this time, we're all gonna die."

"So that's it?" Sam says helplessly. "You're just gonna throw in the towel, call it a day?"

Gabriel nods slowly. "Yeah, pretty much." Seeing the reactions he gets, he adds, "Hey, you got a better idea, I'm all ears."

"So what do we do?" Bobby asks. "I mean, if we're not gonna save the world...?"

"Whatever you want," Gabriel replies. "I kinda figured you'd go do Ellen, but hey, not my place." He gives the man a falsely sweet smile.

"And what are you going to do?" Balthazar asks him. "Get in a couple more tricks?"

Gabriel shakes his head. "Nah. The apocalypse is the worst way to go, anyway." He turns to Sam and licks his lips. "But I'm thinking I might go tap that."

The face Sam makes is priceless. It's a mix of pure shock and terror, and possibly disgust, though Castiel isn't sure. "What? No!"

"Aw, come on, Sammy! End of the world and all that."

"And I'd like to spend my last days on earth with a little dignity," Sam replies. "Besides, I'm not gay."

"Okay, first of all, I'm an angel. I don't have a gender," Gabriel tells him. "But come on, Sam! Don't tell me you never wanted to try it."

"No, I don't," Sam replies. "It's definitely not on my bucket list."

"Then how 'bout as a thank you?" Gabriel asks hopefully.

"For what?"

"For the tip about the horsemen," Gabriel clarifies. "You know, the nice video I dropped in your car?"

He dropped it in the car? No, he handed it to them. He was there at that hotel. Then again, he also died at the hotel. Nothing about this is lining up.

"How about no?" Sam counters. "And you could've stopped in to help, you know."

Gabriel rolls his eyes. "And deal with Kali again?" He lets out a low whistle. "No thank you."

"Funny, that's exactly how I feel about you," Sam replies.

They continue to bicker for a while, and eventually, everyone loses interest in their conversation. Castiel glances up at Dean, debating whether or not to ask this. It will probably sound strange that he doesn't know, but curiosity gets the better of him and he asks anyway.

"Dean? What happened at the hotel with the gods?"

"You saved our asses," Dean replies. "Then we got out to the impala, and Gabriel left us that porno video."

Castiel chuckles at the memory of that. So that's how Gabriel is alive. Because he was there to get them out of that mess, and Gabriel didn't have to die for them. But what about the rest of them? Bobby must still be alive because there were no leviathans, which also means Castiel never opened the door to Purgatory, and never killed Balthazar. But what about Ellen and Jo?

"Remember when we tried to kill Lucifer with the Colt?" Castiel recalls, attempting to be casual in his hunt for answers.

"Yeah," Dean replies. "If you hadn't been there to get Jo out of there..."

Castiel never thought about things like this. He may think himself responsible for a lot of people's deaths, but not theirs. He never would have realized he could have saved them.

"What about Charlie?" Castiel asks. "And Kevin?"

"Dead..." Dean says slowly. "You know that. Cas, baby, are you sure you're okay?"

So this didn't change their deaths. Well, Castiel should have known having everyone back would be too good to be true. But he does have his brothers, and he has his friends. And, most importantly, he has Dean. Castiel snuggles up to him again.

"I'm fine," Castiel replies. "I'm — I'm better than fine." This is everything he’s ever wanted and more.

~~

Later that night, Dean takes Castiel's hand and not-so-discreetly drags him away. Castiel allows him to take him to his room, kicking the door closed behind him. Dean presses their lips together, and Castiel doesn't hesitate to kiss him back. This is what he has always wanted, ever since he pulled the boy out of hell. The feeling of Dean's body pressed against his is more amazing than he would have guessed.

Dean's hands run through the angel's hair, sliding down his back and to his ass. Castiel lets his hands explore Dean's body, something he's only dreamed of doing. Dean slowly slides his fingers up to Castiel's trench coat, pushing it off of. Castiel has to fight to hide his surprise, pretending as if this is a normal occurrence, and not just a fantasy. They work his suit jacket off together, and Dean throws it on the floor.

Castiel grips Dean's flannel, pulling that off him as well. His hands glide under Dean's shirt, running over his abs. He slides the shirt over Dean's head, then pulls away for a moment.

"You're so beautiful," Castiel whispers.

"Not as much as you," Dean purrs.

His hands slide under Castiel's shirt, gliding along the angel's sides before pulling the shirt off. He runs his hands over Castiel's now bare upper body, crawling under the waistband of his pants. Castiel bites back a moan at Dean's teasing.

Dean slides off the angel's pants and

Oh, fuck it. They have sex. Castiel loves it. Moving on.

Castiel lies in bed with Dean all night, their unclothed bodies pressed against each other. He feels the hunter breathe as much as he hears it; slow, steady breaths. For some reason, such a small thing brings him so much joy. Maybe it's because it's a big change, seeing him so peaceful. Maybe it's just because he wants to be here with him, and this is a dream come true.

Eventually, Dean wakes up. Castiel can hear the change in his breathing before the boy opens his eyes and looks up at Castiel with a slight smile.

"'Morning, sunshine," Dean greets him.

"Good morning," Castiel replies.

Dean sits up, and Castiel can see his muscles tense as he uses them. It hypnotizes the angel. He always has. Dean presses his lips to Castiel's, only for a moment before rolling out of bed.

"Come on," Dean says softly, careful not to wake anyone else up. "Let's go see if we've got anything on the Darkness."

Castiel reluctantly obliges, and they both put their clothes back on before returning to the war room. There are three people in there — though only one is technically a person. Balthazar is sitting at the table, flipping through an old book. That's normal enough, even for Castiel, who isn't used to the idea of his brother being alive. In comparison to what else is going on, it seems like nothing.

Sitting on the floor is Gabriel and Sam kissing.

"Holy fucking shit," Dean breathes, his eyes wide.

Instantly, Sam pulls away, his face flushed with embarrassment. Gabriel just looks annoyed at the interruption. Balthazar glances up, an amused smile on his face not due to the make out session but Dean's reaction to it.

"Okay, what the hell just happened?" Dean asks.

"I have a moose," Gabriel replies. "He's a nice moose, really. He doesn't bite. Well, not usually."

Sam elbows him in the ribs, hard. Gabriel just rolls his eyes, but Sam grabs his elbow, clearly just now remembering that you don't hit an angel.

"Seriously, Sam? That's low, even for you," Dean says.

"No, it's not — It's not like that. He said that he'd tell us something about the Darkness if I kissed him, and, well, we're kind of running out of options, so I did, but that's it."

Dean raises an eyebrow and looks at Gabriel expectantly. "Well? What did you bribe him for?"

Gabriel shrugs. "No clue. I lied. I've got nothing. I just wanted to kiss Sam."

"What?!" Sam practically yells. "You just — you — Gabriel! You can't just — ugh, I can't believe you."

Gabriel scoffs. "Seriously? Does the name 'Trickster' ring any bells? I'm just doing what I do. And, unfortunately, that doesn't seem include you, but we've still got a couple days 'til the world ends, at least, and a lot can happen in a couple days." He gives Sam a suggestive wink, who just rolls his eyes. "Okay, but I promised I'd have an idea, and I plan to make good on that. We're all screwed. That's just a fact at this point. So why not try things? Bring out the rest of the archangels."

Sam scoffs. "Why would we ever let Lucifer out of the cage? Didn't you pretty much tell us that won't work?"

"Yeah, but come on, Samwich. It's the end of the world. We might as well try. I mean, Raph may be dust in the wind, but with us three archangels, maybe —"

"Michael's insane," Sam interrupts. "Literally insane. He won't be able to help."

Gabriel frowns. "Oh. That's an issue. Still, I mean, maybe with Lucifer's help..."

"Is this just because you miss your brother or something?" Dean asks. "Because I'm all for family, but not if it means getting people killed."

"We're all gonna die anyway. He's our best hope."

"And if he doesn't play ball?" Dean prompts. "Then what? Just let him kill a bunch of people?"

Gabriel shrugs. "I mean, it's either him or Amara. There's really no big risk letting him out, and he could save the world. He may destroy it after, but at least he'll be easier to take down than the Darkness."

The brothers exchange a look, and Sam gives a small, barely perceptible shrug. Dean glances at Castiel, who does the same. He sighs and returns his gaze to the archangel.

"Fine,  _ if _ he doesn't use Sam as a vessel."

Gabriel claps his hands once. "Great. Let's go visit my big bro."

~~

"Are you out of your mind?" Crowley demands. "You want to try to bring Lucifer out  _ again _ ?"

"Yes," Dean replies evenly.

"Why would you  _ ever _ think that's a good idea?"

"We don't," Sam tells him. "But it's the only idea we've got."

Crowley looks between the two brothers, then asks, "You do remember he'll need a vessel to escape the cage, don't you?"

"Yes," Sam replies. "And I'm willing to give him one."

"What? No, we never said that," Dean says quickly. "In fact, we said the  _ opposite  _ of that."

"Then what do you want to do, huh?" Sam challenges. "Because if we're not giving him a vessel, we're not getting him out, so we might as well just leave now."

"But — Cas, help me out."

"Sam's right," Castiel tells him. "If we truly are going to let him out of the cage, he will need a vessel, and that would have to be one of us."

"Then we're not letting him out," Dean says, his tone making it clear that this is not up for debate.

"Or..." Crowley proposes hesitantly. "I found his old vessel from when he first escaped a few years ago, made some modifications. Get him in there, and I can control him, make sure he doesn't kill you or your friends."

"Why would you do that?" Dean asks suspiciously.

"Because I know Moose won't give up until the devil's walking free."

"No, I mean why would you help us? Shouldn't you want him to kill us?"

"Oh, Dean, you've got me all wrong," Crowley tells him. "You lot may be the biggest pains in the ass I have  _ ever _ met, but I don't want you dead. As much as I hate to admit it, you can be useful. You know, when you're not being complete morons."

"Great. Thanks," Dean says sarcastically.

"Whatever. We just need to talk to Lucifer," Sam tells him.

"And are you going to let the dog out of his cage?" Crowley asks.

"We don't know," Sam replies.

"Gee, real helpful," Crowley says sarcastically. "Well, if you're seriously going to try to reason with Lucifer, we're going to need help warding the cage and summoning him there."

"And that means we need Rowena," Sam finishes. "Shouldn't be too hard. She's practically in love with the guy."

~~

It's a few hours later when Rowena finishes her chant. At first, nothing happens. Then, from the other side of the cage, two small circles glow red, and they all know Lucifer is here. He walks up to the front of the cage slowly, resting his hands on the bars as he leans forward, allowing the light to illuminate his face and reveal his smirk.

"Long time, no see," he greets them. "So? You guys rethink your decision? Is my timeout over?"

"Depends," Dean replies. "We can get you a vessel, but you've got to play by our rules."

Lucifer pauses a moment, mentally debating whether it's worth his time to listen. Finally, he responds, looking interested but not desperate for an escape.

"I'm listening."

"You can't use my brother as a vessel," Dean tells him. "But we did find your old vessel for you to use. We're bringing you out under the impression that you can help us with Amara, and that's all."

"And once she's gone, what are you going to do with me?" Lucifer asks. "Gonna try to stuff me back in here? Good luck with that."

Dean glances at Castiel and Sam, silently asking if there are any last minute objections to the plan they formulated.

"As long as no one gets hurt, we'll leave you alone. But that's  _ after  _ we take care of the Darkness. Until then, you either stay in the cage, or you stay with us. What's it gonna be?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lucifer scoffs. "You're giving me an easy out, and you think I'm gonna say no? It's so boring here without my human punching bag!"

Castiel glances at Sam, who takes a small, subtle step away from the archangel. Lucifer just smirks at his discomfort. If looks could kill, Dean would have an archangel's blood on his hands.

"Are you going to help us get rid of Amara or not?" Dean demands.

"Eh, sure. Why not? Now, where's my vessel?"

It requires some spell work for Lucifer to return to his former vessel, which, with both Rowena and Crowley working together, is both quick and full of needless bickering. Throughout the process, Lucifer leans against the edge of the cage, watching with apparent disinterest. Finally, the spell is prepared, and Crowley brings out the vessel, which he throws on the ground carelessly. The body has been repaired from the damage sustained when Lucifer inhabited it all those years ago.

To the untrained eye, it just looks like someone fell asleep on the floor, but Castiel can feel the magic in it. Whatever warding Crowley put on this thing, it's big; much worse than any magic the King of Hell should have access to.

"Ready?" Dean asks, glancing at Crowley and Rowena. Crowley just gives the hunter a small nod, and it's clear that even though he's the one who told the Winchesters and Castiel that they could do this, he doesn't want it any more than them. Rowena, on the other hand, seems excited to see the archangel in person for the first time, without the bars of the cage separating them.

Rowena begins her spell, and Castiel looks between her and the cage until finally, there's a flash of light at an intensity Castiel hasn't seen since his time in Heaven. It only lasts a couple moments, and then the cage is empty.

Lucifer sits up slowly, the cracking of his long abandoned vessel carrying easily in the dead silence of the room. He flexes his hands and balls them into fists a few times, watching the movement with a small smile. He rolls his head out, his neck popping with every movement. Slowly, he rises to his feet, looking around at everyone else standing in the room.

"Hey guys," he says with a devilish grin. "I'm back."

"And under my control," Crowley adds.

Lucifer just rolls his eyes. "That was  _ so _ half an hour ago. I'm over it." He raises a hand in the demon's direction, and, with a simple flick of his fingers, Crowley is sent flying across the room. Lucifer turns to Team Free Will. "So, thanks for the release, but I'm kinda sick of you guys meddling in everything, so, uh, bye."

He raises a hand towards them, but stops at the sound of Crowley's voice. 

"Not gonna happen."

Lucifer turns around slowly, incredulity on his features. "You think  _ you  _ can stop me?" He scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, sure. You know what?" He spreads his arms in a "come at me, bro" position. "Go for it. Take your best shot. And then it's my turn." He cracks his knuckles loudly for effect.

Crowley stands up, his posture conveying his confidence. He raises a hand, not towards Lucifer but just in front of him. Lucifer watches with a bemused smile, which turns into a cry of pain when Crowley snaps his fingers. Crowley does it again, this time sending Lucifer to the floor in pain. He looks up, his face showing a mixture of suffering and awe.

Crowley puts his hands in his pockets, looking down at the angel with an air of superiority. "You're under  _ my _ control now, so I suggest you play by  _ my _ rules."

"And if I don't?" Lucifer challenges.

Though nothing else seems to change, he cries out in pain once again.

"This right here? Just the tip of the iceberg," Crowley tells him. "I could do so, so much worse to you, and trust me, I would love every second of it. For your sake, I suggest you play along with whatever Moose, Squirrel and his little lovebird there have planned for you."

Lucifer glares at him, and, for the first time since Castiel met him, he can see... weakness. Lucifer drops his gaze to the floor, his heavy breathing easily audible in the now otherwise silent room. He stands up slowly, his head not held quite as high as it used to be, as if Crowley just drained the confidence out of him. Any semblance of the quirky, humorous in the most annoying way Lucifer is gone, replaced by a majorly pissed off but powerless archangel.

Castiel glances around the room to gauge the others' reactions to this new Lucifer. Sam appears relieved, which he can understand. He went through most of the trauma Lucifer inflicted on the group, and knowing that Crowley has complete control over him must be a big comfort. Rowena is glaring daggers at her son; her infatuation with Lucifer clearly hasn't waned in recent months, seeing as Lucifer hasn't snapped her neck in this reality.

Dean just looks amused at the whole situation. Castiel can't blame him; Crowley is just a demon, yet he can control Lucifer, an archangel, like a dog. It's a rather amusing concept, if slightly terrifying at the same time. They can only hope Crowley values their existence as much as he claims, because between him and Lucifer, they easily have enough power to wipe out Team Free Will.

Lucifer takes a moment to glare at Crowley, then makes a noise that's almost a growl in frustration. "I don't particularly want to spend the last days of my life with  _ you _ , so let's hurry this up, 'kay?"

"Trust me, hanging out with you is not high on our bucket list," Dean snaps, clearly agitated already and their time with the archangel has barely begun. "Come on."

~~

"Woah, is there a party goin' on?" Gabriel asks.

It makes sense for him to believe that; only Sam, Dean, and Castiel left the bunker, and now the three of them are back, accompanied by Lucifer, Crowley, and Rowena. Crowley wasn't thrilled to be forced into coming, but as he's essentially a remote control for Lucifer, it was necessary to bring him along to keep the archangel in check. Rowena just came due to her unending obsession with Lucifer, and refused to take "no" for an answer. It was Sam that finally broke and let her join them; as a witch, she could be useful in stopping the Darkness. No one was excited for her to join them, but Crowley was the most expressive of how much he despised the idea. 

"If it is, it's going to be the lamest one I've been to," Jo adds, taking a swig of her beer and sizing Lucifer up. If this world is like the real one, she likely hasn't seen him in about seven years, Castiel reasons.

"You wouldn't be wrong," Dean tells her. "Everyone here knows everyone, right? Because if we're all gonna be stuck together, we might as well learn names."

"I have absolutely no idea who either of them are," Balthazar announces, looking between Rowena and Crowley. He doesn't really seem to care, though, if his disinterested expression is anything to go by.

"I second that," Gabriel adds.

This seems to be the first time Lucifer lays eyes on his younger brother, and he looks away quickly when Gabriel returns his gaze. It's a casual movement, not showing fear of his brother or shame, but rather that he just doesn't want to talk to the archangel. Gabriel doesn't comment on it, which is likely the first time in his excessively long life that he has noticed something and not felt the need to make a sarcastic remark about it.

It's Dean that makes the introductions, quick and to the point. None of them seem very happy to meet each other, but no one expected any different. Balthazar at least gives them a semi-polite head nod in recognition of their existence, but that's about the extent of their interaction.

"So..." Lucifer says after a few moments of silence. "Are we gonna do something, or did you just pull me out so Crowley can pretend he's more than your faithful mutt?"

Crowley shoots him a glare, and Lucifer groans as he's hit with some sort of invisible attack from the demon, doubling over in pain. Balthazar cocks an eyebrow and Gabriel fights back a laugh, while Bobby, Ellen, and Jo just look confused. Lucifer puts a hand to his chest, clutching it as if shot as he straightens up, panting slightly.

"Heart attack?" Gabriel asks teasingly.

Lucifer raises his gaze to meet his brother's, and the younger angel is flung across the room. Lucifer grips his head from the pain that Crowley inflicts for this.

"Seriously, Crowley. Quit it," Lucifer snaps.

"I'll quit it when I damn well feel like it," Crowley replies.

Suddenly, Lucifer is on the floor, letting out a cry of pain. Crowley just watches with a smug smile.

"That's enough," Sam interrupts after a few seconds in which he seems to enjoy watching Lucifer in pain. "We  _ do _ still need him in working order."

Crowley sighs. "So demanding, Samantha."

"'Samantha'?" Balthazar repeats with an amused grin. Sam doesn't bother responding.

Gabriel walks over to Lucifer and offers him a hand. The older archangel just looks up at him warily. Gabriel rolls his eyes and thrusts his hand forward once again.

"Chill, Luci," he says with a small smile. "Just giving you a hand up."

Lucifer hesitates, then evidently decides against trusting his brother and he pushes himself to his feet on his own with a soft groan. Gabriel frowns at the brush off, undoubtedly remembering the times when they used to be good friends, but doesn't mention it.

"Lucifer's right," Dean says, then adds as an afterthought, "for probably the first time in his life. As much as I love watching Lucifer get hurt, and I  _ really _ do love it, we have other priorities. Any ideas on how to stop the Darkness?"

Crickets.

"Anyone at all?" Dean adds, looking around the room at the group of clueless individuals he surrounds himself with on nearly a daily basis. "Great," he mutters under his breath. "Just great."

"We'll figure something out," Castiel assures him. They just need to get Chuck down here, and everything should work out, right?

Dean sighs and rests his head on Castiel's shoulder. "I hope you're right, but I'm getting less and less sure by the day."

~~

They're all hanging out around the war room, now complete with couches courtesy of Gabriel's laziness, that night. Dean and Castiel are sharing a new love seat, the former with his arm around the angel, who is snuggling with him and loving every second.

Bobby and Ellen, whom Castiel has come to assume are together as well, are leaning against a wall not far from them. There's no physical contact as there is with Dean and Castiel, but the hunter has warned him about the personal space bubble, and they are clearly violating it.

Sam is standing as far away from Gabriel as he physical can while still being inconspicuous about it, even though everyone with the possible exception of Crowley and Rowena knows about the events of the morning. Lucifer sits on the floor in front of Crowley, though not by choice. Rowena stands nearby, still drooling over the archangel.

"We got your brother," Dean says, his gaze on the younger archangel. "Now what?"

Gabriel shrugs. "No clue."

"Then why'd you tell us to get him out?" Dean asks, annoyed.

"Why not?" Gabriel counters with a smirk.

"Because he's Lucifer!" Dean practically yells. "You just made us free Satan, and you didn't have a plan for once we did?"

"My  _ plan _ was to let him out so he wasn't caged helplessly while the world ends," Gabriel replies.

"Right, because this is  _ so _ much better," Dean says sarcastically.

Everyone looks down at Lucifer. His back is against the bottom of the couch, his knees pulled up to his chest. His gaze is on the floor in front of him, not seeming interested by the conversation at all, but Castiel saw him glance at Gabriel upon hearing whose idea it was to free him. He had looked away quickly, but not before Castiel registered the mild surprise on his face.

"At least now he has a chance to save himself," Gabriel replies. "I stand by my decision."

"Should've left me in the cage," Lucifer drawls, not looking up.

For a moment, Gabriel looks hurt by this, but he covers up his emotion quickly. "Would you rather just lie down and die?"

"What do you think I'm doing now, moron?" Lucifer snaps. "You and I both know there's no stopping Amara; not without Michael, Raphael, and the big man himself. The whole idea that anyone in this room could stop her is ridiculous. The ineptitude of these filthy, hairless apes is hurting my head."

It's possible Crowley gets his ideas from what Lucifer says, because almost immediately after he finishes speaking, he lets out a groan and clutches his head. No one really reacts this time; Crowley has done this to him enough in the last couple hours that it doesn't really phase anyone, with the exception of Rowena, who looks peeved every time.

"I can't believe this is all you're doing to him," Dean says randomly. "I mean, power like yours, you could dress him up like a furry and he couldn't complain."

"Don't you dare," Rowena growls.

Lucifer, recovering from Crowley's unseen attack, rolls his eyes not at Dean's proposal but Rowena's defense. "A furry? Really, Dean? I'll pass, thanks." In a jokingly excited tone, he adds, "Ooh, what about a princess? I bet I'd look beautiful in a wig, and honey, you should see me in a crown."

Sam chuckles at that almost involuntarily, earning a confused look from everyone else. Lucifer smiles slightly, covering it with his hand in a casual motion.

"Sorry," Sam mutters. " _ Sherlock _ ."

"Seriously, Sammy, not the time for the geek stuff," Dean tells him.

"Yes, Dad forgive the geek act like a geek," Lucifer says, rolling his eyes.

"Apparently, he's not the only geek in the room," Balthazar observes with a mocking smile.

Lucifer turns to the angel, who suddenly doubles over in pain, which ends when Crowley strikes back twice as hard. Lucifer shoots a hand out to support himself as he waits in silent agony for Crowley to stop.

"Hey,  _ he _ was antagonizing  _ me _ !" Lucifer says defensively once Crowley evidently decides that Lucifer's had enough.

"And that's fine," Crowley replies. "But you can't fight back."

"That's so stupid, I don't know where to begin," Lucifer mutters.

Crowley apparently decides this is another teachable moment, because though Lucifer is silent, his muscles are tensed suddenly and he squeezes his eyes shut.

"Dammit, Crowley, what did I even do that time?"

"You sassed me," Crowley replies simply. "And when you sass me, I hurt you." To demonstrate, he sends another invisible attack at him.

"Sorry,  _ Mom _ ," Lucifer says through clenched teeth, which doesn't censor his sarcasm.

Again, the overly trigger happy Crowley decides to hurt him.

"Leave him alone, Fergus," Rowena scolds him.

Boom, Crowley hurts Lucifer again.

"What the hell was that for?" Lucifer demands.

"That was for my mother," Crowley replies, and he and Rowena have a bitch face contest.

Lucifer rolls his eyes and looks up at Gabriel. "Yeah, this is  _ great _ ," he says sarcastically, prompting another invisible attack. Once it's over, Lucifer stands up, walking away. "I quit," he announces, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"You can't," Crowley replies. "Come back here."

Lucifer ignores him, which, unsurprisingly, results in another invisible attack. Lucifer collapses like jello, landing in what resembles a puddle on the ground. He lets out an anguished cry, but quickly bites his lip to stop himself.

Rowena runs over to him, her heels clicking with every step against the war room floor. She crouches next to him, which would probably look indecent in a dress shorter than hers. She puts a hand on his back, and he flinches. She removes her hand from him immediately.

"Sorry about my son," she says with a seemingly sympathetic and caring expression that no one is buying. "He can be a bit of a hot head."

"I've noticed," Lucifer replies, his voice strained.

He squeezes his eyes shut and presses his lips together tightly to keep from crying out as Crowley strikes him again.

"That's enough, Fergus," Rowena snaps, prompting Crowley to hurt Lucifer again.

Rowena reaches out to Lucifer again protectively, and she's suddenly flung into a wall on the other side of the room. There's a crack from where she hit it before falling to the floor. Lucifer doesn't even acknowledge her, though it's unlikely he doesn't realize he did it. After a moment, he looks up at Crowley, seeming confused.

"Hurt the witch all you want," Crowley tells him. "I don't care."

"Crowley..." Dean says in a warning tone.

Crowley rolls his eyes. "Fine. Leave the bitch alone."

Lucifer cries out again, squeezing his eyes shut and curling up into a ball on the floor. Suddenly, everyone is flung away, startling Crowley so much that he accidentally leaves Lucifer alone. Lucifer opens his eyes, which glow red. It only lasts a moment before he collapses, his panting audible from anywhere in the room.

"Crowley, that's enough," Gabriel says, his voice firm. "Leave him alone."

"But —"

"He wasn't hurting anyone," Gabriel reminds him. "Not 'til you started hurting  _ him _ . If he wants to be a smart ass, that's not your problem."

Crowley glares at him, clearly not thrilled with having to let Lucifer continue being... him. Unfortunately for him, Gabriel is an archangel, and even the King of Hell doesn't mess with an archangel at full power.

"Fine," Crowley huffs.

Gabriel walks over to Lucifer and crouches next to him, a sympathetic expression on his face. Who would have thought the Trickster would be capable of sympathy?

"Hey," Gabriel says softly. "You okay?"

"Back off," Lucifer growls.

Gabriel sighs and walks away, leaning against the wall with a frown. Everyone else just sort of stands or sits around in an awkward silence, finally broken by Dean clearing his throat.

"So... Any new ideas on stopping the Darkness?"

  
  


~~

"Lucifer, can you shut the hell up?" Dean asks, exasperated.

Lucifer, who had been quietly humming Kansas' "Carry on my Wayward Son" over and over for the last hour, starts humming louder just for that. His humming turns to a groan as Crowley attacks him, not for the first time since Gabriel told him to stop.

"Crowley!" Gabriel barks.

"What? It's not like he's helping," Crowley says defensively.

"And neither are you," Gabriel reminds him.

It's true; for the last hour or so, everyone has just been sitting around the war room brainstorming a way to defeat the Darkness. So far, no one has had any bright ideas, but it doesn't stop them from trying.

Lucifer hasn't spoken once throughout the conversation, instead sitting as far from them as possible while still being in the war room and humming to himself. Though it had been fairly soft, it still carries in the quiet room, and though no one mentioned it at first, it was getting on everyone's nerves.

A part of Castiel is happy Dean decided to ask Lucifer to stop, but at the same time, he sort of isn't. He doesn't like the archangel; far from it. In fact, he actually hates Lucifer, and has every reason to. But Castiel's sense of compassion outweighs his desire for revenge, and even he is getting sick of watching Lucifer in pain.

Lucifer, recovering from Crowley being... him, stands up and walks out of the room. Crowley and Gabriel call after him, the latter with much more compassion, but they're both ignored. They all hear a door slam, and it's evident Lucifer decided to pretend to be a teenager and lock himself away. At least he won't be bothering them.

Dean sighs softly and rests his head on Castiel's shoulder. "I think we finally found the one apocalypse we can't stop."

"I doubt that," Castiel replies. "There's a way. I know that." All they have to do is get Chuck down here.

"Even the archangels think it's hopeless," Dean reminds him.

"Not hopeless," Gabriel corrects him, even though the conversation didn't include him. "Just... highly improbable."

"So, pretty much this is a suicide mission?" Sam surmises, frowning.

"Yep," Gabriel replies.

"Then why bother?" Crowley asks.

"It would be suicide to do nothing, too," Gabriel reminds him. "I say we at least try to do  _ something _ . What's the worst that could happen?"

"And what, exactly, would this 'something' entail?" Crowley asks him. "Or are you just throwing around words without a single plan to back them up?"

"This is why I hate demons," Gabriel says to no one in particular. "I mean, I'm not really buddies with most of the other angels, no offense to you guys, and I'm not particularly fond of most humans, no offense again, and I don't really like witches, offense intended —" This earns a glare from Rowena, only putting a smile on Gabriel's face. "But demons are quite possibly the most annoying things I've ever met."

"Then it's a good thing my entire life doesn't revolve around pleasing an arrogant, overconfident moron like you," Crowley replies.

Gabriel gasps in an overly sarcastic way. "You don't spend every second of your life trying to make me happy? Crowley, I'm offended. I thought we had something here."

"I don't know which one of you I hate more right now," Dean mutters.

Gabriel gives him an exaggerated smile. "Aw, Dean! That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"

"Enough!" Ellen yells, silencing everyone. She can be really freaking scary. "If you don't have something helpful to say, shut the hell up."

No one speaks after that, which is nice because there's no more bickering but at the same time, it means no one has any ideas.

Dean sighs and rests his head on Castiel's shoulder. Castiel puts an arm around him as if it will bring any comfort to the boy who's finally losing hope.

"We'll figure something out," Castiel assures him. "We always do."

"But what if this is the time we don't?" Dean asks. "I mean, how do we know that we'll always save the world, just because we always have? What if this is the time we can't sweep up our mess?"

"We'll figure something out," Castiel repeats, his voice final. He means it, too. The djinn wouldn't just let him die in here. It would lose him. Unless that's how his dream ends; the djinn gives up on him when it can't get anything from his vessel anymore and lets Amara kill him when his body dies. But can he die in here? He's an angel; they don't die by any normal means. Could this dream last forever? Could he spend eternity in here with Dean? He'd have to find a way to make Dean live forever, but he's sure it's possible. It has to be. Right?

"I hope we do," Dean mumbles.

  
  


~~

"Just leave him," Dean suggests. "He's not helping anyway."

"Yeah, neither are you," Gabriel replies. "You don't see us locking  _ you _ away."

"Because at least I'm trying to do something other than be a complete pain in the ass, which is more than I can say for your big bro over there."

"Really, you are? Wow. I didn't notice."

"You —"

"Alright, enough!" Ellen interrupts. "We're not getting anything done by arguing all day."

"We're not getting anything done at all," Balthazar reminds her.

"I say we go to bed and start fresh tomorrow," Jo suggests. "Preferably without all the pointless fighting."

"But fighting is the best part," Gabriel protests in his typical snarky style.

"I have to agree with Jo," Dean say, ignoring the archangel. "I'm wiped. We can figure something out tomorrow. For now, I'm going to bed." He gives Castiel a pointed look, and the angel knows that's his cue to come with him. 

He follows Dean out of the room, walking down the halls in silence. He wishes there was something he could say or do that would cheer him up, but he can't think of anything. He can't exactly bring up his experience from the real world. Even just proposing the idea of waiting for God to save them would be met with nothing but an eye roll and a sarcastic remark. So, instead, Castiel just sits next to him on the bed, their hands intertwined. 

"I don't know if I can keep doing this, Cas," Dean says softly. "I mean, we're not getting any closer to finding a way to stop the Darkness, even with all these other angels on our side. I'm beginning to wonder if we should just give in."

"You can't mean that," Castiel protests. There's no way Dean Winchester, the man who has saved the world on numerous occasions when the odds were stacked against him so high, Donald Trump's imaginary wall would be jealous, is seriously considering giving up.

"I do," Dean replies. "There's no way we're going to stop Amara. Why bother trying?"

"Dean..."

"There are so many other things we could be doing right now," Dean continues. "So many places I've never seen that we could be exploring before they're all gone, just you and me. What are we waiting for, Cas? Let's go enjoy our last few weeks on earth."

"And just give up?" Castiel finishes. "Is that what you've come to?" 

He had expected things to be different with the two of then dating, but he didn't think it would make Dean go soft like this. He distinctly remembers back when Sam was Lucifer's vessel all this years ago in the real universe, when everyone else had given up. Bobby and Castiel were ready to sit back and wait for the inevitable blast wave, but Dean wouldn't. He refused to just lie down and die, even though there was no way they should have stood a chance; even though everyone and everything told him to give up. Have times really changed that much?

"You know what, Cas? Yes. Yes, I am ready to give up. I know you and everyone else want to be some big heroes, saving the world again and again, and usually, I'd be right by your side. But we can't win this fight. So can't I at least lose happy?"

"Yes, you  _ can  _ win," Castiel tells him. "You can lose fighting. You always wanted to go down swinging. What was it? Going out in a blaze of glory? Well, maybe this is hopeless. I don't know. But if it is, this is your chance for the ending you always dreamed on. You've lived the life of a hero since you were four years old. Here's your chance to go out like one."

Dean just looks at him for a few moments, then looks away, running a hand down his face. "I guess... I don't know. Maybe you're right."

"I am," he replies confidently.

"You know what? We can talk about it in the morning. Right now, I just want a night with you, okay?"

Castiel can't help but smile at that. "Okay, Dean. Good night." He gives the boy a brief kiss and lies back in bed with him.

So maybe he lied. Maybe he doesn't really want to keep fighting so Dean can have his blaze of glory moment. He just doesn't want this djinn dream to end, and if defeating Amara again is what it takes, that's what he'll do.

  
  


~~

Castiel watches the Winchesters slam their fists against the door, though the music coming from the other side is so loud, had Lucifer not been an angel, he probably wouldn't hear them. They've been doing this for at least ten minutes, and nothing has come of it. 

"Eventually, you're gonna have to come out and talk to..." Sam pauses uncertainly finishing, "all of us."

The music suddenly gets really quiet, and the Winchesters share a look before leaning closer to the door, waiting to hear some response.

"If you find Amara, tell me. Until then, I'll be in my room."

The music returns to its original volume. Dean throws his hands up, and Castiel runs a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"You're not in your room," Sam mutters. "That's  _ my _ room."

The three of them exchange a look, not entirely sure how to proceed, and Dean begins knocking on the door again. After a pause, Sam does the same, and Castiel continues to watch.

"You're wasting your time."

The three look over to see Gabriel leaning against the wall nonchalantly, watching them.

"What do you want now?" Dean asks, exasperated.

"Oh, I don't know." Gabriel walks towards them slowly, running one finger along the wall. "To stick someone in Scooby Doo; to force whoever made the new _Star Wars_ movie to deal with Kylo Ren forever because that guy is _so_ _annoying_ —"

"What do you want  _ from us? _ " Dean emphasizes the last two words so Gabriel doesn't go off on another tangent.

"I want you to go back to your little paradise in the library," he says. Before they can protest, he continues, "I'll deal with my bro. He won't kill  _ me _ ." He pauses, then adds, "Probably."

"What, and you think he's gonna kill us?" Dean asks, crossing his arms.

"Well, I'm not saying that he doesn't like you, but if he had to choose between killing you or destroying the entire eastern hemisphere... Well, you'd probably want to say your final goodbyes."

"If he was going to kill us, he would've done it already," Sam says.

"Are you really willing to take that chance?" He looks between the three of them, and when no one jumps to agree with him, he adds, "Look, I don't like you guys. You know that. But right now, it's not just your asses on the line; it's mine, too. If there's any chance I could possibly save myself, at least, I'm gonna take it, and right now, Lucifer is that chance. Gimme ten minutes, and I'll see if I can get him out of there."

Dean glances at Sam and Castiel, and, when there are no objections, he says, "Ten minutes, and I swear to god, Gabriel, if you screw this up more —"

"More than you three? Impossible." Gabriel winks, and, with a snap of his fingers, sends the three back to the library.

"So?" Jo prompts. "How'd it go?"

"How do you  _ think  _ it went?" Dean snaps.

"Dean," Castiel says quietly, putting a hand on his back to calm him down. He could never do that in the real world, but in this new one, it doesn't seem to surprise anyone. Dean just gives him a small smile.

"He's ignoring us, but Gabriel is gonna try to talk him into helping us," Sam explains.

"You're really gonna trust  _ Gabriel _ ?" Bobby says skeptically.

"We didn't have much of a choice," Dean says. "He kinda forced our hand."

"But he's Lucifer's brother," Sam says. "If anyone can convince him to stop ignoring us, it would be him."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Balthazar says.

"Angels don't view family the same way you two do," Castiel says. "They may have been friends once, but that was millennia ago. It may be a bit much to hope that their relationship withstood all that time apart, especially seeing what happened to Lucifer and Michael."

"If you're getting desperate, there's always my way," Crowley offers.

"Dammit, Crowley, that's not gonna happen, so just shut up about it!" Dean snaps, his hands balled into fists by his side.

"Dean." Castiel puts a hand on his shoulder, and the hunter turns to face him.

"I'm sorry, I just... I'm getting really close to giving up right now. Maybe we should just send everyone home and enjoy the world while it lasts."

"We can't give up," Castiel says immediately. "We'll figure something out. We always do." And, judging by the number of people still alive today, their methods are a lot better in this universe than his own. Apparently, sticking with Dean helps.

Dean sighs. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He looks around at everyone else in the room, all standing or sitting in a bored silence, and takes charge again. "Well, if no one has any bright ideas, let's see what we can find. We've got two archangels now. Maybe that'll help."

Sam sighs. "Fine. I'll hit the books. Again."

  
  


~~

"What's wrong, guys? You look like your cat died."

Everyone looks up immediately, though they all recognize the teasing voice as Lucifer's, even before they see him. He's leaning against the wall, his foot pressed against it and his arms crossed over his chest, a small smirk on his face.

Next to him is Gabriel, standing in the doorway. "Told ya I'd get him out."

"Well, it's about time," Dean says. "Temper tantrum over? Are you gonna try to help now?"

"No, probably not," he says. "Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it — maybe — but I'm telling you right now, you're wasting your time. We're still missing half the archangels and the man upstairs, and even that almost didn't work to lock her away last time. Despite what you may think, you're not as powerful as  _ one _ archangel, let alone two and God himself."

"Well, it's a good thing we're not going to lock her up," Sam says.

"We're gonna kill her," Dean adds. "Whole lot less work, whole lot less room for error. Everyone wins."

Lucifer scoffs. "You're going to —" He pushes himself off the wall with his foot. "You can't  _ kill _ the Darkness."

"Yeah? Watch us," Dean snaps.

"No, you —" Lucifer looks to Gabriel for help, but the other archangel doesn't speak, so he continues, "So there's this balance in the universe, right? Yin and yang, dark and light, yada yada yada. Dark needs light. Light needs dark. It's this whole big thing. Part of that balance is that God needs Amara, and Amara needs God. You get rid of Amara but leave God on the table, well..."

"It wouldn't be a good thing," Gabriel finishes.

"It would be  _ really _ not a good thing," Lucifer agrees.

Dean scoffs. "And you neglected to tell us this until now  _ because... _ ?"

"Hey, don't blame me," Lucifer says. "I just got here."

"If anything, blame Gabriel," Jo says.

"Great, really feeling the love in this room," Gabriel says sarcastically. He looks around the room at all the judgmental stares he's getting, and sighs. "What did you want me to do? If I told you, you would've given up long before we got Lucifer out the box. At least now we have a fighting chance."

"Except apparently, we don't," Dean says. "We can't kill her, we can't trap her. Hell, we can't even find her!"

"Actually," Gabriel says, raising his hand slightly, almost like he's volunteering, "we can. Lucifer and I could get her here."

"How?" Ellen asks.

"She's not really a fan," Lucifer says. "Probably has something to do with the 'locking her up for all eternity' thing. She kinda holds that against us — not sure why. Some people are just really touchy."

Gabriel makes a noise, almost like a choked laugh, and covers his mouth with his hand.

"What?" Lucifer snaps.

"Nothing, nothing," Gabriel waves a hand dismissively. When Lucifer just stares at him expectantly, he says, "Just, what was that apocalypse about again? Couldn't possibly be about you being bitter that Michael locked you in a cage like a sick puppy or anything. No, Amara's the petty one. Just her. You're absolutely right."

Lucifer clenches his jaw and raises a hand, and, as everyone here has learned at one time or another, an archangel snapping is never a good thing. Fortunately for them, Crowley steps in, and Lucifer collapses to the ground, clutching his side.

"As much as I enjoy watching you lot fight — which is not at all," Balthazar says, "is there any reason I'm still here? If this is all you're going to be doing, there are so many places I would rather be, like France, or the Caribbean, or a vat of acid."

"A vat of acid doesn't sound very pleasant," Castiel remarks.

"Exactly."

"No one is going anywhere," Bobby says. "Not 'til we figure out what we're doing 'bout Amara."

"Or," Lucifer says, pushing himself back up to his feet, "you could just accept that there's nothing we  _ can  _ do, and go enjoy these last few weeks before Amara destroys the world."

Castiel looks to Dean, expecting him to argue, but he seems about ready to agree. In fact, he realizes as he surveys the room, everyone does.

Suddenly, Jo perks up. "What about that, uh, the..." She gestures vaguely with her hands. "The something of God that we were talking about a few months ago."

"The hand of God," Bobby says.

"What, Dad just left a hand down here?" Lucifer says. "I knew he wasn't all there, but that's not really what I meant."

"No, a hand of God, it's something that he touched when he was here," Bobby explains. "They're few and far between, but rumor has it, they still contains some of his power. We looked into it once, even managed to track one down from the  _ femme de lettres, _ but it was lost years ago. We couldn't get back in time to grab it, but maybe..."

"You're really going to trust one of these guys to get a  _ hand of God _ ?" Ellen asks, raising an eyebrow.

"What choice do we have?" he counters. "Either we send 'em in, or we're back to square one, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting real tired of square one."

"Guys, I'm offended," Gabriel says. "You don't trust me?"

"No!" This comes from not just Bobby and Ellen, but also both Winchesters, Castiel, and Jo.

"Okay, fine, don't trust me, but I can get the hand of God for you," Gabriel says. "Send someone you  _ do _ trust with me if you have to. I vote Sam, just saying."

Sam glares at him, earning a smirk from Gabriel.

"I'm not going with him," Sam announces. "Just making that clear."

"I will," Jo volunteers.

"Jo Harvelle, you aren't going anywhere with him, or so help me —" Ellen begins, but Gabriel interrupts.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll do this and this and this. Whole bunch of empty threats, and I don't care. Do I have a volunteer? Any volunteer? Preferably one whose name begins with 'S' and ends with 'am.'"

When no one volunteers, Dean steps in. "Fine. I'll get it. It's on a World War II sub that gets shot down by the Germans. I'm sure we've got the details somewhere. Can you make the jump?"

"No!" Castiel says quickly, earning confused looks from everyone. "You can't."

"Cas, I'm glad you care, but I think we can get on a submarine," Dean deadpans.

"No, you can't," Castiel insists. "Not together. It's warded. Gabriel won't make it on, and you won't make it off without him. You'll have to use the hand of God, and it can only be used once."

"Cas, that's ridiculous," Dean says. "Where did that come from?"

"I..." What is he supposed to say? That he watched it play out the first time, trapped inside his vessel while Lucifer played both teams? No one would believe that. "Just trust me, Dean. It won't work."

Dean just looks at him for a few moments. "Okay...?"

"He just doesn't want to risk his little love bug," Balthazar says. "Ignore him. We need the thing, don't we?"

"Are you sure?" Sam asks. "I mean, he's got a point. This woman has what is probably one of the most powerful objects on earth in her back pocket. You really think she wouldn't protect herself?"

No one speaks at first, all processing that, until Jo says, "Wait, but if it's the sub that's warded, why don't you just go back to before they got on the sub in the first place? Get it while they're on land, and you don't even have to touch the submarine."

No one seems to have any objections to it. Castiel himself doesn't really know if it will work. He knows the warding has something to do with her life force, but whether it's specific to the submarine or bars anyone of supernatural origin from going near her, he's not sure, and he doesn't want to risk losing Dean like this. It may have worked last time, but if they're not doing everything exactly the same, there's no promise he'll make it out this time.

"Alright, then let's go for it," Dean says.

"Dean," Castiel says quietly, taking his arm to stop him.

Dean sighs and turns back to face him. "Cas, I'll be fine. I'll be back in the blink of an eye, hand of god in tow. Okay?"

Castiel hesitates, then nods. "Okay."

Dean gives him a quick kiss. "See you then."

  
  


~~

“He's going to be okay, Cas. He always is.”

Castiel looks up just as Sam sits down by his side, a sympathetic look on his face. Castiel offers him a small smile, but can't force himself to give much more of a reaction. 

“Dean will be back any minute,” Sam assures him. 

“He should be back already,” Castiel mutters. 

“I'm sure getting the hand of God takes time,” Sam says. 

“They're traveling through time,” Castiel reminds him. “Gabriel should be able to bring them back to the moment they left.”

“Well, you know Gabriel,” Sam says. “Always one for the dramatics.”

“What if something happened?” Castiel asks. “We have no way of knowing if they're okay, if they're even alive. I'm worried about them, Sam.”

Sam lets out a long breath and leans back in his chair. “I know, Cas. I am, too. But I'm sure they'll be back any minute now.”

“I hope you're right.”

The two sit in silence for a few minutes. Even without the verbal communication, it's comforting, in a way, sitting with him. Knowing that they're both worried, anxious Dean won't return, almost makes him feel better. At least he's not in it alone. Sure, Bobby and the Harvelles may be worried, too, but not as much as Sam and Castiel. He knows that much, at least. 

With a sigh, Sam pushes himself to his feet. “I'm gonna grab a beer. You want one?”

Castiel just waves the offer away. He's not sure he could stomach a beer. He just wants Dean to come back. It's been half an hour. Where are they? 

“Hey, Cas, perk up,” Jo says. “You know Dean as well as I do. Even if something did go wrong, we both know he's going to work his ass off to get back here.”

“I don't know,” Castiel mutters. “Usually, I'd say that, but…” This Dean, he's different. This isn't the same man who fought his way through Purgatory for a year, just because there could be the slightest chance of finding an escape. This Dean, he's ready to give up. He's said as much himself. 

“If he's going down, he's going down with you by his side,” Jo says. “He'll make it back for you.”

Castiel offers her a small smile. “I hope you're right.”

~~

There's a flash of bright light, and suddenly, Dean and Gabriel are back, both covered in scratches and blood. Dean falls to the ground immediately, catching himself with his hands. 

“Well,” Gabriel says, brushing himself off. “That was fun.”

“Oh, shut up,” Dean snaps, breathless. 

Instantly, Castiel is by his side. He puts a hand on the boy's head, healing him, then helps him to his feet. 

“What happened?” Castiel asks. 

“We got jumped,” Dean says. “But we made it out, thank god.”

“And, even better.” Gabriel holds out a small object, covered in a towel. “Hand of God.”

“That's the hand of God?” Sam scoffs. “Doesn't look like much.”

“Don't judge it by its looks, Sammy,” Gabriel says. “This thing may be stronger than everything and everyone in this building.”

“And don't touch it,” Dean adds. “It stays in the towel.”

“So, now what?” Jo asks. “We've got the archangels, we have the hand of God. What else do we need?”

“Speaking of the archangels,” Gabriel says, glancing around the library, “Where's Lucifer?”

“Probably sulking in my room again,” Sam deadpans. 

“Leave him,” Bobby says. “He ain't gonna do anything but complain if we drag him out.”

“Oh, I don't know what that, Robert.” 

With a soft whoosh, Lucifer is in the library, his eyes on the hand of God from the moment he appears. He walks over to it, but Gabriel steps in front of him, blocking his way. 

“Ah, nope, the hand is off limits,” Gabriel says. 

“Relax, Gabriel,” Lucifer says. “I just want to look. I could feel its power from down the hall. I'm interested.”

“You're not going anywhere near that thing,” Dean says. 

“What, don't you trust me?” Lucifer asks, his voice dripping in sarcasm. 

“No, actually, we don't,” Dean says. “Shocking, I'm sure.”

“Ugh, fine.” Lucifer rolls his eyes dramatically. “Whatever. I'm still not sure what you're hoping to accomplish, though. One hand can't compare to God himself. You're wasting your time.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Balthazar says. “If you're not going to help, go away.”

“Would if I could,” Lucifer says. “But the so-called King of Hell’ doesn't seem to be in board with that.” He shoots Crowley a glare, earning a mockingly sweet smile in return. 

“God, we're really gonna spend our last days on Earth listening to Satan complaining, huh?” Dean says quietly, looking over at Castiel. 

“We’re getting there,” Castiel says. “We've got two archangels and a hand of God on our side. We didn't have any of this a couple days ago.”

“And yet Gabriel and Lucifer still think it's useless,” Dean says. “I'm serious, Cas, I think it might be time to call it a day. Let's go to Vegas.”

“Dean, we're not giving up,” Castiel says firmly. “Not while I'm here to stop you.”

  
  


~~

"You know," Lucifer says, "it occurs to me that you're not working with all the facts."

Dean crosses his arms. "And what would those facts be?"

"Well," he says, "it's entirely possible that I exaggerated Michael's…  _ condition _ ."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriel asks. "What's up with Michael? Is he okay?"

"Yes."

Gabriel stares at him for a moment. "Is there more to that?"

Lucifer just shrugs. 

"What do you mean, he's okay?" Sam asks. "Okay  _ physically _ ?" 

"He's in Hell, dumbass," Lucifer says. "There is no  _ physically _ in Hell."

"You know what I mean," Sam snaps. "You said he was insane."

"And, again, that may be  _ slightly _ exaggerated," Lucifer says. 

"Just how insane is he?" Dean demands. 

"Oh, you know…" Lucifer shrugs awkwardly. "He's not."

Dean scoffs. "You mean to tell me this whole time we've been dealing with one or two archangels, we could have had three? The only one missing is Raphael, and you're just telling us this now?"

"Oh, come on," Lucifer says. "Like you wouldn't have done the same. You and I both know that you wouldn't have come to get me if you knew you could have gotten a fully functioning Michael instead."

Dean just glares at him, but doesn't respond, so Jo steps in with, "Well, he's not wrong."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Balthazar asks. "Let's go get Michael."

"Woah, okay hold on," Ellen says quickly. "Last time we saw Michael, he tried to blow up half the planet. You can't seriously be talking about pulling him out, too, just like that."

"You grabbed me," Lucifer reminds her. "And, last time I checked, the apocalypse wasn't a one-man job."

"We've got you on a leash." Dean nods at Crowley to remind him. "I don't think we can pull that on Michael."

"And he's not the type to listen to orders that come from anyone but the big man upstairs," Gabriel adds. "I mean, I love the guy, but I don't see him working with us on this."

"Of course he would," Lucifer says. "Dad told us to lock the Darkness up once. You think Michael's gonna need him to say it again? As long as you can stop him from murdering you when he realizes you freed her in the first place, he'll play along just fine."

Sam scoffs. "Do you really think telling us he might murder me is going to convince us to bring him out?"

"Oh,  _ you _ freed her?" Lucifer chuckles. "Yeah, scratch that. He won't lay a hand on you."

"Oh, but the rest of us are fair game?" Dean says skeptically. "Not your best cover-up."

"Michael likes him," Lucifer says. "You know, in a weird sort of way. They were roommates for a while, you know."

"So were we," Sam says. "And if he's anything like you…"

"He's not," Lucifer says. "Scout's honor."

Sam and Dean share a look, then both look to Castiel. No one had acknowledged him during this conversation, and he wasn't exactly rushing in to contribute. In the real world, they probably wouldn't have asked him at all, and if they did, they probably wouldn't really care what he said. That's how it usually goes. The is an interesting change, and one he could get used to.

But that means he has to figure things out.

With what he knows of his own universe, even Chuck said Michael was insane, and he's more than willing to take God's word for it. But Chuck never showed up here, so they don't have that. Maybe this is another thing that changed between worlds. How Dean and Castiel's relationship could have saved Michael's sanity, he's not quite sure, but at this point, he's desperate. 

"What do we have to lose?" Castiel says finally. 

He knows the answer, though. If this goes wrong, he knows what he'll lose. It's not his life — perks of living in a djinn dream; it's not exactly  _ Inception. _

But it might be worse. 

In  _ Inception _ , when you die in the dream, you die in real time. In a djinn dream, you die in the dream, and your dream dies, too. 

And he would do anything to keep from losing the love of his life. 

~~

"Hey, um, Cas…" Dean looks down at the floor and scratches the back of his neck. 

"What is it?" Castiel asks. He's known Dean long enough to recognize that as a sign that he's not exactly excited to say whatever he's about to. That's one thing that didn't change when Castiel changed realities. 

"I just… I don't know how this is going to work out," Dean says, "and, for all we know, Michael's gonna kill us the second we let him out."

"Don't think like that," Castiel says. "We're going to be fine. We have to be." He's not letting this djinn dream end. Not yet. Not like that. 

"And you're probably right," Dean says. "But, you know, just in case we're not alright…" He sighs and gives Castiel a small, sad smile. "It's been an awesome eight years. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Something so small shouldn't affect him that much, but the Dean from his universe would never say anything like that. He doesn't do any of that "touchy feely crap" — his words — with anyone but Sam. It never occurred to him that he could be on the receiving end of Dean's affections like that,  _ especially _ when there's still a chance things will work out as long as Michael doesn't kill them, 

Castiel gives Dean a kiss, something he never even would have dreamed of doing in his universe, but something that comes so naturally in this one. 

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Castiel promises him. "I'm not going to key anything happen to  _ us _ ."

"Hey, Sam," Gabriel says, earning a very dramatic eye roll from the hunter. "I don't know how to if gonna work out, or if Michael's gonna kill me the second he sees me —"

"I swear to God, Gabriel, if you're just going to say exactly what Dean said because you think I'm going to kiss you, I'm going to  _ ask _ Michael to kill you the second he sees you."

Gabriel scoffs. "It wasn't  _ exactly _ what Dean said."

"I'm not accusing you of plagiarism; I'm accusing you of being an idiot," Sam snaps. 

"Well, you're not wrong," Gabriel says with a shrug. 

Dean nudges Castiel gently. "I know I would feel bad for him, but honestly, if this is the last thing I see before the world ends, I'll be satisfied."

Castiel chuckles. "They sure are an interesting pair, that's for sure." He'd never seen them together before, save those few seconds after Gabriel stuck then in TV Land, but he never would have expected them to be a good pair — and, honestly, he wasn't wrong, as much as Gabriel's trying to pretend otherwise. 

"Honestly, at this point, I'm about to tell Sam to just go for it," Dean says. "End of the world and all that. Sex is a great stress reliever, you know, even with someone like him."

"I don't know," Castiel says. "He  _ is _ the Trickster. I wouldn't trust him with anything, sex included." Though that might have something to do with the fact that they're brothers. 

"You know what? You're absolutely right," Dean says. "I take it all back. Let's go find Sam a hooker instead."

Castiel chuckles. "Maybe we should wait until after we talk to Michael for that."

"But what if there is no after?" Dean asks. "We gotta get on this."

Castiel shakes his head, amused. "I really think we should deal with Michael first."

Dean sighs dramatically. " _ Fine _ . If you insist."

"If you're done contemplating Sam's sex life," Gabriel says, "I just want to say that no one I've slept with has ever left unsatisfied, and I'm offended that you'd even imply that —"

"Can we please just go get Michael from the cage?" Crowley asks, exasperated. "I don't understand how you get anything done like this."

"To be fair," Gabriel says, "I don't ever really get anything done. That's all on them."

~~

Michael stretches his arms out in front of him, every joint cracking as he does. Castiel and the Winchesters watch him warily. He said he would help them, but if they've learned anything from Lucifer and Gabriel, it's that archangels aren't to be trusted. Fortunately, it doesn't look like Michael's first order of business is murder. 

"So?" Dean says impatiently. "You game?"

"Of course," Michael says. "What would I gain from asking you to let me go if I were to just to let the world end immediately after?"

"Well, Lucifer didn't see it the same way," Sam says. 

Michael eyes him for a few moments, for so long that Sam looks at his brother as if asking for help. Dean just shrugs, which is exactly how Castiel feels about this. 

Finally, Michael says, "You look well."

"Um…" Sam glances between Dean and Castiel before saying an awkward, "Thanks?"

"You've recovered from Hell remarkably well," Michael says. "How did you manage that?"

"Um…" Sam seems taken aback by that. "Dean had Death put a wall in my head."

"And it hasn't broken?" Michael says in surprise. "Interesting…" 

"It's a sturdy wall," Sam says. "It's holding up just fine. Has been for years."

"That's... very interesting," Michael says. 

"Woah, hold up, are you expecting it to break?" Dean asks. "Do you know something we don't know?"

"I doubt there's much risk," Michael says, "but nothing lasts forever."

Everyone looks at Sam, who doesn't speak, but he does seem to grow paler at Michael's words. 

"Well, one problem at a time," Dean says finally. "The car's outside. We'll take you to the bunker."

"In a car?" Michael scoffs. "Not a chance. Tell me where it is and I'll meet you there."

"If you think we're leaving you and Lucifer in the same room together without us watching, you're dead wrong," Dean says. "Car. Now."

Michael sighs but seems to accept it. "If you're going to spend the next few hours driving, Adam was wondering if he could get a burger."

It's a good thing Castiel doesn't need a steady heartbeat to live, because he swears how heart stops at the sound of Adam's name. He hasn't heard it in years. He'd always assumed Adam was a lost cause. It hadn't even occurred to him that they could probably pull him from the cage in his world the same way they did with Lucifer. Would that work? Dean and Castiel's relationship has changed a lot between worlds, but it couldn't have affected that, right? So maybe there's still a chance for the real Adam. 

Of course, Sam and Dean don't realize there's another universe, so their first thought is about this Adam. 

"Adam?" Sam says in awe.

"You can hear him?" Dean asks at the same time. 

"Of course I can hear him," Michael says. "He's my vessel."

"Can he hear us?" Sam asks. 

"Of course," Michael says. 

Well. 

That's awkward. 

"Well," Dean says slowly, carefully looking for the words, "I guess we probably owe you an apology. We should have —"

"Would you like to apologise to Adam himself?" Michael asks. 

"What?"

Michael's posture shifts ever so slightly, and a smile grows on his face. But it's not his face — not anymore. 

It's Adam's. 

"Hey, guys," he says. "It's been a while."

Sam scoffs. "Adam? Is it…?"

"Me?" Adam finishes. "Sure feels like it."

"Man, it is so good to see you again," Dean says.

"And you look great," Sam adds. "Like, really great."

Adam cocks his head to the side, confused. "Thank you?"

"I just mean, when I got out, I had to have Death put up a wall in my head just so I could function, but you…"

"Well, Lucifer had it out for you the whole time you were there," Adam says. "Once you disappeared, Michael kinda started protecting me from him."

"Michael  _ protected _ you?" Dean repeats skeptically. 

Adam nods. "Yeah, you know, we pretty much only had each other, and Lucifer wasn't exactly easy to deal with alone."

"Lucifer's at the bunker right now," Castiel says, the first thing he's said since they saw Michael — and probably the last. He never was Michael's biggest fan, and after Castiel Molotaved him, it's unlikely Michael likes him, either. It's probably best to stay out of his way. Unfortunately, it seems no one else is going to ask, so he should probably do it. "Are you going to be okay, being near him all day?"

"I'll be fine," Adam says. "Michael is  _ literally _ inside of me at all times. I won't have to deal with Lucifer alone." After a pause, he adds, "But if he tries anything,  _ he _ might not be okay. Michael's not very happy with him."

"Is he ever?" Dean deadpans. 

"So Michael's just gonna leave you be?" Sam asks. "He just lives inside you and lets you eat burgers?"

Adam shrugs. "Looks like it. I don't know. We haven't been doing this vessel-sharing thing for long, so we haven't exactly worked everything out yet."

Sam scoffs. "That's…" He shakes his head. "Wow. I can't even believe it."

"Why did you get the cool archangel?" Dean asks jokingly.

"I don't know, but I'm damn glad I did," Adam says. 

~~

Everyone is tense when they return to the bunker. Sam had already called to tell them that they'd gotten Michael on board with their plan, but just because they managed to drag him along didn't mean he was going to cooperate.

Michael looks around at everyone crowded in the war room, all waiting for him. It's impossible not to notice how his gaze skips right over Lucifer, but he does pause when he sees Gabriel. 

"Hey, bro," Gabriel quips. "Finally decided the apocalypse was a bust? Man, if only there was someone who could have told you that millenia ago."

Michael scoffs, incredulous, but he doesn't dignify it with a response. He finishes surveying the room, then looks back to Sam. "I really don't think this will be enough to stop the Darkness."

"Enough to try, though?" Sam asks. "I mean, between Lucifer and Crowley, we've got all of Hell on our side. I'm sure you could get Heaven to work with us. Rowena said she'll talk to her witch friends. We've even got a hand of God locked away. That's gotta count for something, right?"

Michael thinks about that for a moment. "It could work. I don't have much faith that it will, but it could."

"Well, 'could' is all we've got," Dean says. "So, what, you game?"

Michael nods slowly. "I don't know what type of reactions my return to Heaven will bring, but I can try to talk the angels into it."

Dean turns his attention to Lucifer and Crowley. "And you two, you game to talk to the demons?"

"With him?" Lucifer gestures to Crowley with a nod of the head and a sharp laugh. "Not a chance."

"The hell are you talking about?" Bobby demands. "If you're expecting us to let you go alone —"

"Do you really think anyone would take me seriously like this?" Lucifer demands. "An archangel on a leash? You'd have better luck going down there yourself and beating them into submission."

"He's not wrong," Sam says. 

Dean scoffs. "Sam, you can't really —"

"Oh, trust me, I don't think he should be going anywhere by himself," Sam says. "Honestly, I think this is a good thing. Send him down there with Crowley, and no one's gonna fight it. No one wants to cross paths with someone who tamed an archangel."

Crowley chuckles. "Now,  _ that _ I can get on board with."

"Are you sure about this?" Jo asks. "I mean, maybe it'll help us out now, but when this is over, do you really want Crowley to be the undisputable king of hell?"

Crowley scoffs. "I'm right here, you know."

"Does it matter?" Sam asks. "If we don't get everyone on board, this will 'be over' when we're all dead and the planet's gone."

"Besides," Dean says, "I'd pick Crowley over Lucifer any day. May not be ideal, but hey, you get what you get." He shrugs. 

"I'm not sure how I feel about that," Castiel says quietly. Heaven and Hell, despite being literal opposites, are shockingly similar, at least when it comes to the hierarchy. Castiel knew all those years ago when he tried to open Purgatory that power was the key to ruling all of Heaven, and striking fear in every ordinary angel. He has no doubt that it will work just as well for Crowley in Hell. 

"I know, but we don't have much of a choice," Dean says, and he says it sort of compassionately, which really gets to him. Castiel's universe's Dean would have been much colder.

"Then it's settled," Michael says. "I will go to Heaven. If all goes well, I should return shortly, hopefully with good news."

"Meanwhile,  _ we _ …" Crowley pulls Lucifer to his feet. "Will be in Hell. Ciao."

The last they see of them is Lucifer rolling his eyes dramatically before they disappear. Seemingly taking his cue from them, Michael disappears, too. 

Dean sighs. "And now, we wait."

Castiel takes his hand in what he hopes is a reassuring way. "It's gonna work. I know it."

"But you don't know it," Dean says. "We could wipe out all of Heaven and Hell and  _ still _ not get rid of Amara."

"You don't like Heaven or Hell anyway," Castiel reminds him. 

"That's not the point," Dean says. "What if we're not enough? What if, even with all the angels and demons and witches we can find, we're not enough and Amara still destroys the planet?"

"We're trying to make up for in archangel and God," Castiel reminds him. "There's no way every angel in Heaven is less powerful than Raphael was. And between us, the demons, the witches, and the Hand of God, I'm sure —"

"But you're not sure," Dean insists. "We've never met God. We don't know how powerful He is. Maybe this isn't enough."

Dean's wrong about one thing — they  _ have _ met God. They just didn't know Chuck was God at the time, and there's no way in hell Castiel could tell him that without raising a lot of questions. But that doesn't change the fact that they really don't know how powerful He is. 

But that doesn't matter. Not to Castiel — not now. He's finally in a world where Dean loves back, and he'll be damned if he lets the hunter spend all their time together just stressing over the future. 

Maybe it's easier for Castiel to say this because he's lived through almost the same situation they're in now, or because he knows things they don't, or even because he knows that if he dies here, he won't  _ really _ die — though he'll lose this relationship with Dean, which is arguably worse. Whatever it is, he just knows he wants to live his fairytale life with Dean for however long he can. 

Castiel steps in front of him and rests a hand on his cheek gently. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

Dean smiles slightly at that. "For some reason, I almost believe you."

~~

In the real world, Dean never wanted Castiel anywhere near him at night. He'd be more welcome on the street than with the hunter in a motel. Even in the bunker, Castiel had a tendency of leaving for the night while the Winchesters slept. He didn't particularly like it, but he didn't think to complain. It's just how Dean wanted it. 

This Dean is different. 

Lying in bed next to the sleeping hunter, Castiel realizes he truly can't emphasize just how different he is. Castiel hasn't felt this welcome in a long time — possibly ever. It's all the incentive he needs to take this fight with Amara seriously; they may have beat her once, but those rules don't necessarily apply here, and he isn't willing to risk this life with Dean by his side for anything. 

As an angel, Castiel doesn't sleep, but he's more than capable of entertaining himself with his thoughts. He's just conscious enough to notice Dean begin squirming around in bed. He doesn't think to do anything at first — he doesn't know what a normal sleep pattern is — but when the hunter starts whimpering under his breath, Castiel realizes he should probably do something.

"Dean," Castiel whispers, gently putting a hand on the hunter's shoulder. 

Instantly, Dean bolts upright, already reaching under his pillow for his gun. It takes him a brief moment to process what's happening, and he slowly lowers his pistol with a sigh. 

"I'm sorry, man," Dean says. "I didn't mean to sleep-threaten you again."

_ Again _ . This must be a common occurrence. Does the real Dean have nightmares this often, too? 

"It's okay," Castiel assures him. "You couldn't sleep-kill me if you tried. At least, not with that."

Dean gives him a half-assed smile. "Yeah, I guess so, but I'm sure it would still hurt like a bitch."

"Eh." Castiel shrugs. He's had worse. He's had  _ a lot _ worse. Changing the subject away from his own mortality or lack thereof, he asks, "Are you okay?"

Dean nods. "Just a bad dream. Don't worry about it."

"What was it about?" Castiel asks. 

"Just…" Dean gestures helplessly. "Life."

Castiel doesn't ask him to elaborate — he knows Dean doesn't like so-called "chick flick moments" — but he doesn't respond, either. He just waits, giving Dean the chance to explain or change the subject. 

Ultimately, Dean changes the subject. He rests his head on Castiel's shoulders, their fingers intertwining. "I'm scared, Cas. I really am. What if we don't make it through this one?" 

"We will," Castiel says firmly. He'll do whatever it takes to make sure of it. 

"But if we don't…" Dean takes a deep breath. "If we don't, I just want to tell you more, these last few years with you have been the best years of my life. And I feel like I don't tell you that enough, but I'm really trying to make sure I do. I want you to know that. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I love you, and you have to remember that, just in case one or both of us don't make it out of this alive."

Castiel lets out a long breath. "I wish we didn't have to worry about this. I wish we could be normal, just for once."

With a small almost-smile, Dean says, "What, the constant threat of our impending deaths doesn't turn you on?"

Castiel chuckles. "Unfortunately not." He rests his head on top of Dean's. "I love you, Dean. More than you know."

"I love you, too."

"C'mere." Dean lies back down in bed, gently pulling Castiel down with him. He wraps his arms around the angel's torso and closes his eyes. "G'night, Cas."

"Good night, Dean."

~~

"Cas, you gotta help me."

Castiel looks up from his lore book to see a visibly stressed Sam in front of him. 

"Hi?"

"Gabriel won't leave me alone," Sam says. "You guys are brothers. Can you talk to him? Because I'm getting really close to just smacking the guy."

"He won't listen to me," Castiel says. "He never has, and I'm assuming he never will."

"Come on, Cas, you're the best shot I have," Sam says. "He's driving me insane."

"Sorry, Sam, but I can't help you," Castiel says. "You could try asking Michael. Michael's always been good at smacking some sense into him."

Sam glances at Michael — or, technically, at Adam. Michael let Adam take over the vessel not long after he returned from Heaven with the news that the angels were just scared enough of him that they agreed to take on Amara. Occasionally, Adam will start talking to no one, so it's evident that Michael is still here, even if he doesn't control Adam's body. Sam could probably get his attention if he tried. 

"Do you mean  _ literally _ smack some sense into him, or have you just been talking to Dean too much?" Sam asks cautiously. 

"Both," Castiel replies. 

Sam eyes him hesitantly for a moment. "I don't really want Michael to actually hit him. The bunker's walls are strong, but I have a feeling an archangel is stronger."

"Did someone say 'archangel'?" 

Gabriel appears next to them with a quiet flap of his wings, a smug smirk on his face. Sam rolls his eyes so dramatically that his entire head goes with it, and Castiel stifles a laugh. He feels bad for the guy, but, at the same time, it's kind of funny to watch. When Gabriel wants something, he  _ wants _ it, and right now, he has his sights set on Sam. 

Castiel pats the hunter on the back sympathetically. "Good luck."

~~

"Can we just get on with it already?" Lucifer asks, exasperated. "Amara's not getting any weaker!"

"Oh, shut up," Dean snaps. If he hadn't said it, someone else would have. It's basically everyone's default reaction to Lucifer speaking. 

"He's not wrong."

Everyone looks to the source of the voice at once. It happens every time he speaks. Judging by his posture and his grim expression, it seems to be Michael that speaks, with Adam ticked safely away. 

"The longer we wait, the longer she's been free, the more powerful she's going to get," Michael says. "Unless you have any plans to find someone or something else that you think is powerful enough to defeat her, we should strike soon."

"You know that probably means we're walking straight towards death with open arms, right?" Jo asks. 

"And procrastinating will just make it worse," Michael says. "If we want any chance at defeating her, we'll attack now."

No one immediately answers that. Castiel surveys the room, and it appears everyone is feeling as apprehensive as he is. Though that doesn't bode well for their chances, it's oddly comforting to know that everyone else feels the same way. 

It's Sam who breaks the silence. "Tomorrow, then. Gives us just enough time to prepare."

"And to say your goodbyes," Lucifer deadpans. 

"Well, hey," Dean says with a half-assed smile. "Last day on earth? Sounds like the perfect time for a party if you ask me."

Everyone murmurs in unenthused agreement. 

"Great." Castiel forces a smile. "I'll get the beers."

~~

Castiel had two options. He could spend the night in bed with Dean for what could possibly be the last time, or he could spend it digging through old lore books for another weapon to use against Amara in hopes that it could save him a lifetime of nights with Dean. 

It's a difficult choice to make. He'd like to think that the djinn wouldn't let him die this soon, but that says nothing of what could happen to Dean during this fight. He'd like to at least try to increase their chances of winning. But at the same time, the odds of him finding something new are incredibly low. Maybe the Men of Letters had some ancient secrets the Winchesters have yet to discover, but it's unlikely. 

Ultimately, he decides to do a bit of both. When the hunters' pity party ends, Castiel follows Dean to bed, and — after a few minutes of slow kissing that he wouldn't trade for anything — they decide to let Dean sleep. He's going to need the rest for tomorrow. 

Once Dean is asleep, Castiel reluctantly sneaks out of the room. Part of him wishes he could stay the night like he has every night he's been in this dream world, but this is the only compromise he could come up with. 

He pulls out the old Men of Letters archives, and to say there's a lot in them would be a huge understatement. He won't finish looking through them by morning, that much is for sure. But he'll keep looking until he thinks Dean is going to wake up soon, and if he doesn't find anything by then, he'll sneak back to bed like he never left.

Unfortunately, Castiel realizes a few hours later, plans are always subject to change. 

"Cas?"

Castiel looks up from the book he's been reading —and he must admit, it had definitely captivated his attention; the Men of Letters truly were geniuses — to see Sam standing in the doorway, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Sam? What are you doing here?" Castiel asks quietly. It's the middle of the night, and tomorrow's arguably the most important day of their lives. He should be sleeping, resting up for the day. 

"Looking for you!" Sam isn't quite as quiet, but there's a sense of urgency in his voice that has Castiel a but concerned. 

"What? Why?" Castiel asks. "Is it Gabriel? Because I told you, there's nothing I can —"

"Gabriel?" Sam stares at him, his expression a mixture of confusion and awe. 

"You're not from here," Castiel says slowly. 

"No, I'm not," he says. "I'm from the real world. This is just a dream. It —"

"A djinn, I know," Castiel says. 

"Wait, you do?" 

"Of course I do," he says. "This obviously isn't the real world. Too much has changed."

Sam scoffs, a relieved grin on his face as he walks towards the angel. "Okay, great, then let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What? Why?"

Castiel sighs and looks down at the table, avoiding Sam's gaze. "I just… I like it here. It's weird, but I like it."

"You're kidding," Sam says incredulously. "Cas, this isn't even real. How can you pick this over —"

"I thought I'd find you here."

Sam and Castiel's conversation immediately ceases at the sound of Dean's voice. The hunter wears a tired smile as he walks towards them, though he seems a bit puzzled to see his brother. 

"Sam, you should be in bed," Dean says. "Big day tomorrow."

"What?" 

"Amara's not gonna stop herself," Dean says. 

"Ama —" Sam cuts himself off with an incredulous look towards Castiel.

"And  _ you _ should be in bed, too," Dean adds, kissing Castiel on the forehead. 

"What the hell?" Sam gapes at him.

Dean rolls his eyes. "You can't say 'no PDA' at three in the morning. Don't want to deal with it, then go to bed."

Sam looks between Dean and an embarrassed Castiel in astonished silence for a few moments, until the angel has to look away. 

" _ This _ is your dream world?" Sam says finally. "What could you  _ possibly _ have wished for that made this happen?"

Castiel doesn't answer, but that alone is enough of an answer for him. 

"Was  _ that _ your wish?" Sam asks. "You and Dean?"

Castiel looks up at Dean, hoping the sight will give him the courage to admit it. It doesn't quite work. 

"Just let me stay," Castiel says finally. "I'm happy here."

"What, and you're not happy with us?" Sam asks. "The real us?"

Castiel hesitates. He knows how he feels and he knows what he wants, but how does he explain it? How could he possibly tell Sam that he's never truly felt welcome with them? How can he explain that all he's ever wanted was to feel loved? And after so many years of devoting himself to helping them — to helping  _ Dean _ — he finally got the love he wanted. How can he explain that? And how could he give that up?

"Good talk, Sam," Dean deadpans. "Cas, babe, let's go back to bed." He puts a hand on the angel's back, ready to lead him away as soon as he stands up. 

"Cas?" Sam watches him almost nervously. 

Castiel sighs. "Go home, Sam. You and Dean can take care of things without me." It's for the best for both of them if Castiel just stays here. If there's one thing he's learned from being here, it's that a lot of people would still be alive if he had acted differently. 

"And, what, you're just going to stay in this djinn dream forever?" Sam asks incredulously. 

"As long as I can, yes," Castiel says. "It's called a dream world for a reason." He stands up, ready to follow Dean back to bed, research be damned.

"Good choice," Dean says with a grin, and Castiel can't help but wonder what he'd do if he chose differently. Dean's not oblivious to what's happening here. He just isn't really stepping in.

"Cas!" Sam grabs Castiel by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. 

"I'm sorry, Sam," Castiel says, and he truly means it. But this is where he wants to be, and Sam can't take that away from him. 

"I'm sorry, too," he says. 

"What?"

Sam pulls Castiel's angel blade from his sleeve. Before he can react, Sam stabs it into Castiel's chest. Everything goes white, a bright light and burning heat covering every inch of him. 

And then it's black. 

~~

Castiel wakes up on the floor. 

Okay, so  _ technically _ he wakes up tied to a pole, but as soon as he gains consciousness, he instinctively breaks through the ropes holding him up. Lying on the floor isn't much of an improvement, but he'll take what he can get. 

Castiel sits up, his hands instantly covering his chest. He just got stabbed.  _ Sam _ stabbed him.  _ Sam Winchester just stabbed him _ . 

But the wounds are gone. Of course they are. It was all a dream. Sam likes him too much to stab him in the real world. In fact, Sam likes him so much, he refused to let him be happy. But there's no use in holding that against him. It's too late to do anything about it now. 

Almost instantly, Dean is at his side. "Cas? Cas, buddy, you okay?"

Castiel takes a deep breath, trying to let go of his memories of the dream world. "I'm fine." It's not true, of course, but he's long since learned that this is what he's supposed to say.

"Oh, thank god," Dean breathes a sigh of relief. "You really had us going there for a minute. We had no idea what a djinn would do to an angel."

Castiel shrug half-heartedly. "Same as it would to a human, I suppose."

"So, what, you got thrown into your own personal dream world?" Dean guesses. 

Castiel nods solemnly. 

"Ah, that's always fun," he says, not an ounce of sincerity in his voice. "What was your wish?"

Castiel looks around the room for a moment until his eyes finally land on Sam. The hunter is standing not too far away, watching him closely. Castiel can see the sympathy on his face, and he hopes Dean never notices it.

Castiel looks to Dean finally, just to say, "It was ridiculous. Don't worry about it."

Dean raises an eyebrow. "Alright, whatever you say." He stands up, then offers Castiel a hand up as well. Ordinarily, he'd take it, but he's not sure he could bear any physical contact with him right now — not after losing what they could have had. 

Castiel pushes himself to his feet. "Did you kill it?"

"The djinn?" Dean guesses. "Unfortunately not. It ran out, and we got a  _ little _ distracted making sure you were okay."

Castiel fights back a sigh. "Then we should probably find it, or this whole thing has been for nothing."

Once they kill the djinn, this whole experience will be worth it to the Winchesters. They got to kill a monster, and they didn't get anyone else killed in the process. That's always a win to them. 

But Castiel won't feel the same. He'll never feel the same. He'd always been able to fight down his love for Dean. He knew it would never be reciprocated, and he was okay with that. But after spending days in his arms, how is he supposed to be with him day after day and pretend nothing happened?

But he'll do it anyway. He doesn't have a choice.


End file.
